


My Many Artifacts (The List Goes On)

by JackEPeace



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: AUs!, F/F, I sorta know things about Tomb Raider so...yup, Tomb Raider AU, when prompts become actual stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 14:52:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3414809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackEPeace/pseuds/JackEPeace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jemma gives her a pointed look. “You can’t just go crawling through dark passages in ancient ruins.” </p><p>But Skye just shrugs. “That’s pretty much my job description, actually.” </p><p>(Tomb Raider/Lara Croft AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Many Artifacts (The List Goes On)

**Author's Note:**

> So this prompt was given to me on tumblr and, once again, has turned from a drabble to something resembling an actual story so I thought I'd put it here. This story was inspired by my small amount of knowledge about Tomb Raider (yes, okay, I confess: I've seen the movies with Angelina Jolie but that's about as far as my knowledge goes) and a Skimmons/Tomb Raider gif set that was floating around tumblr a few weeks ago. You guys know the one. 
> 
> Oh, and the title comes from the song "Budapest" by George Ezra because I really like that song and I couldn't think of another title.

The beam from her flashlight illuminates nothing more than cracked, dusty bricks and webs so large that Skye would hate to see the spiders that built them. Thankfully the webs, like everything else around her, look old and ancient so she can only hope the massive arachnids are long gone.

Despite her nagging fear of spiders (hey, every adventurer has at least one!) Skye presses onward, moving deeper into the temple. She gives a cursory glance to the map on her phone, ensuring that she's still heading in the right direction. Not that there's really anywhere else to go. Aside from backward. And Skye definitely hasn't come this far just to go back.

It's a simple job, like all the tasks she's assigned by her boss at HQ and normally Skye avoids taking these sorts of assignments because they're no fun and she craves a little adventure every now and then. But this one comes with a few perks that she couldn't turn down.

Skye rounds the corner, swinging the beam of the light around the space in front of her, quickly ensuring that she's alone. Not that she believes in ghosts or old spirits lurking around in ancient temples; she's more concerned about any living people who might be interested in doing a little scavenging.

For the record, Skye is not a scavenger. She's an adventurer. There's a difference. Sure she does freelance work, nabbing old artifacts and objects from old sites and gets paid for her efforts but she's not the type that just comes barging in and grabbing things willy-nilly. She always has a plan. That's the adventurer's way.

And right now, the plan involves getting the chalice that is currently catching the beam from the flashlight in her hand. Easy. Hardly a challenge. Skye smirks to herself as she steps forward, her feet hardly making any sound over the weathered and dusty stone floors. There are no other tracks in the dust, a sign that she's the only person who's been lurking around the place in god only knows how long.

Skye grabs the cup and rubs it clean on the sleeve of her shirt, squinting at the object through the darkness in the room. Hardly all that impressive but they don't really pay her to appraise the artifacts, just to return them safely. So Skye wraps the chalice up carefully in the cloth that she brought along for that purpose, tucking the cup into her bag. Another successful job.

As she's walking out of the temple, Skye starts to hear the tell-tale signs of another's presence. The murmur of voices echoes off the walls and she can hear the occasional scrape and rattle of equipment. While she's always wary of running into someone else inside or around the sites, she knows enough not to fear these noises. In fact, Skye can't quite hide the way they make her smile.

Skye steps toward the mouth of the temple, blinking against the brilliant sunlight and clicking off her flashlight. She can see a half dozen people starting to make their way into the temple, chattering and attempting to wrangle packs and cases and other equipment that Skye simply can't be bothered with.

The woman in front of the group, dressed in a hardly sensible collared shirt and slacks, hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, rolls her eyes at her companions before turning around and coming face to face with Skye. At first she looks startled to see her standing there, then she just looks annoyed.

Skye can't help but grin. Enter the job perk.

"Hello Dr. Simmons." Skye says cheerfully, sliding her flashlight and phone into her back pockets.

The woman in question, Dr. Jemma Simmons, gives her another eye roll and shakes her head. "I should have known I would see you here."

"So does that mean that you've been thinking about me?" Skye teases, crossing her arms over her chest. "The feeling is mutual."

She's rewarded with a quick flush of Jemma's cheeks but the other woman manages to recover herself quickly, brushing her hair away from her face. "Hardly." She assures Skye. "I have simply come to expect the presence of such scavengers in places like this."

Skye huffs out a breath. "I'm not a scavenger." She assures Jemma. "I like to brush up on my history just like you do."

"For a price." Jemma retorts, almost fondly. "What priceless artifacts do you have in your bag this time?"

"Hey, you walk out of here with a few artifacts yourself, if I'm not mistaken." Skye says with a shrug. "Maybe we aren't so different after all."

Jemma frowns, her brow furrowing. "They belong in museums."

Skye holds up her hands, defensive. "Hey, I don't ask where the things end up after I deliver them. Maybe they end up in a few museums too. Maybe I'm really a good guy here."

Jemma scoffs and rolls her eyes. "I am certain that is not the case." She informs Skye frankly. "If that were true, you'd hardly leave such a sweeping trail of destruction behind you."

"That was…" Skye wrinkles her nose, thinking. "Only a few times. Some of us don't have time to be digging around with little picks and shovels."

Jemma starts to protest when her colleague, Dr. Leopold Fitz, comes up beside her and sets a hand on Jemma's shoulder. "Maybe we should have this discussion another time. I think the team is starting to get restless."

All three of them glance back toward the rest of Jemma's team, who are currently struggling under the weight of various pieces of equipment while glaring daggers at the scene going on in front of them.

"Yes, well." Jemma looks back at Skye, straightening the strap of her pack. "If you'll excuse me. Some of us have actual work to do."

Skye shrugs. "Well, some of us have already done it." She winks at Jemma, who frowns at her. But the pink has returned to her cheeks, so Skye considers it a success. "I'm sure I'll see you around, Dr. Simmons."

Jemma shakes her head. "Not by choice." She replies. "Try not to destroy any priceless relics or temples until we can meet again."

Skye draws an x across her heart. "I'll refrain until we can be reunited once more."

Jemma gives her another eye roll, bumping against Skye as she pushes past her. "Incorrigible." She mutters in passing.

Skye can't resist giving her a little wave when Jemma looks over her shoulder for a parting glance. She doesn't leave the temple until Jemma and the rest of her crew are out of sight. Even as she walks to her Jeep, Skye has a smile on her face.

Definitely a perk of the job.

*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

It doesn't take long for Skye's path to cross with Jemma's again. Her boss, Coulson, tells her to head to a dig in Africa, one that has, unfortunately, already caught the attention of several different agencies and programs. Not only has this particular site been flagged by the Democratic Republic of Congo, but several other freelance and archeological groups are interested in the artifacts that are reportedly in the area.

"What's so special about this place?" Skye questions, giving the paper report that Coulson has given her a cursory glance. She knows that she'll just read over the digital report that gets sent to her phone, using it to pass the time while she's on the plane. Or, maybe she'll just catch a nap. It could go either way.

"Until now, it's been completely undiscovered." Coulson tells her. "Hasn't shown up on any map, it hasn't even gotten any word of mouth mention. We aren't even sure the lineage of the site and ruins. No idea how long they've been there or who built them."

Skye gives him a skeptical look. "But we aren't archeologists." She points out. "We aren't the people that go looking into that stuff. So what's the real reason you're sending us in?"

Her coworker, Trip, looks equally interested in the response, leaning back in his chair.

"There are rumors that some of the artifacts are…a little rare. Maybe even alien." Coulson tells them.

Skye quirks an eyebrow. "Alien meaning strange?"

Coulson only shrugs. "That's for our employer to decide. All we have to do is retrieve them."

Skye glances over the description of the object in the file before shrugging her shoulders. "Okay cool. When do we leave?"

Immediately, it turns out. Skye has gotten used to jumping onto a plan with very little notice and jetting off to parts unknown. She has an apartment that she rarely stays at and the only people she really knows are Trip and Coulson and May and the handful of other people she sees in passing whenever she's at HQ.

And Jemma Simmons, if you can even consider that.

Almost as though sensing the thoughts running through her mind, Trip gives her a nudge, startling Skye from her thoughts. "I bet your archeologist is going to be there."

Skye rolls her eyes. "She's not my archeologist. That's a bit of an overstatement."

But Trip just smirks at her. "Well not for lack of wishful thinking." He remarks and Skye wrinkles her nose, deciding not to say anything at all. "I have the feeling that she wouldn't be able to pass up an opportunity like this one."

"Probably not." Skye agrees. "But even if she is there, it doesn't mean anything."

Again, not for lack of wishful thinking.

*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

By the time they arrive, deep in the thick forest of the Congo, there are already dozens of people setting up camp. Skye can hear the sounds of voices, speaking in different languages and with different accents, rising up from various places around the site and the occasional thwack of a machete or roar of some piece of machinery. Skye lifts her ponytail off the back of her neck with one hand, waving lazily at some insect with the other. "Coulson wasn't kidding when he said this place would be popular."

Trip frowns, grabbing a vine and lifting it out of their way. "We need to be careful here, Skye." He says, his voice low despite the relaxed expression on his face.

Skye glances over her shoulder, arching an eyebrow. "This isn't my first rodeo, you know."

"I do know. That's why I'm telling you that we have to be careful." Trip smirks at her, shaking his head. "I know you, girl. Subtly isn't your strong suit."

Skye rolls her eyes at him. "I'll play nice." She assures him. "Promise."

Trip doesn't look convinced but he doesn't say anything more about it.

The jungle is too dense, nearly impossible to navigate in places, so it doesn't surprise Skye to find that there aren't any vehicles parked around the site. She feels a good deal of sympathy for the people who had to carry all the equipment and supplies into the jungle in this oppressive heat. They aren't hear to map out, plot or study. They're just here to get in and get out. Makes for a lot less stuff to carry.

Skye lets her eyes roam across the gathering of people spread out around them. The ruins in question stretch out directly in front of them, towering past the canopy overhead and disappearing into the thickness of the jungle. Around the ruins, the space as been cleared, the jungle beaten back. Skye has no idea how long it's been like that or why but for some reason it gives her a rather eerie feeling and she hopes that they aren't going to spend a lot of time poking around the abandoned place. There's probably a reason that no one has ever mentioned this place before.

In the clear spaces, people have already set up base camps, seeking out the shade of the canvas tents, studying machinery, conferring over documents or just escaping the sun. Skye frowns when she notices John Garrett and his lackey, Grant Ward. Scavengers in the purest sense of the word.

Trip nudges her and Skye is about to tell him that she's already noticed that Garrett is there but when she turns to face him, she realizes that isn't what has his attention. "Told you." Trip smirks.

Jemma Simmons. Even though Skye had been expecting to see her here, she's still a sight for sore eyes and Skye can't help but smile.

Unfortunately, Jemma doesn't look nearly as happy to see her. As soon as she sets eyes on Skye, a scowl crosses her face and she's stomping in their direction. "I should have figured I'd see you here." She snaps, her brow beaded with sweat. "You and everyone else. No one hear cares about exploring these ruins or learning anything about them. Oh no, of course not! Everyone just wants to take whatever they can to make a little bit of money! That's always how it is with you people! You just take what you want without even bothering to preserve or learn!"

Skye holds up her hands. "Whoa, calm down." Jemma's scowl only deepens at that particular request and Skye quickly backpedals. "We aren't here to destroy anything."

Jemma rolls her eyes. "So you aren't here to collect whatever artifacts might be inside?" She questions, crossing her arms over her chest.

Skye frowns, peering up at Trip. "Well…not 'whatever' artifacts…"

Jemma throws up her arms, shaking her head. "Unbelievable. I knew it." She turns on her heel, marching back toward her house, shaking her head. "Unbelievable. Scavengers." She mutters as she goes.

Skye glances back at Trip once Jemma is out of earshot. Trip grins at her, patting her on the shoulder. "That went well."

"Shut up."

*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

It's cooler when the sun goes down but the jungle is still sticky and sweltering and Skye is eager to get into the ruins and get whatever weird, alien artifact is down there so she and Trip can be back on an air conditioned plane. First thing in the morning, that's their plan: enter the ruins, find the artifact, leave everything else to the rest of the people camped out.

"You should go to bed." Trip remarks as he takes a swig from a water bottle, rinsing away the last dregs of toothpaste from his mouth. "We have an early morning if we want to get in there before Garrett and the others."

Skye shrugs. "They aren't as good as we are. Bring it on."

Trip laughs, shaking his head. "Fine, suit yourself. I'll see you in the morning."

He offers her the rest of the water bottle but Skye shakes her head, reaching into her pack to pull out a bottle of her own. "I've got something better."

Again, Trip just laughs. "Of course, how could I forget. The whiskey."

"It's tradition." Skye assures him frankly. "Always have a drink the night before going into a site. It's never let me down yet."

Trip shakes his head, pushing the tent flap aside and disappearing inside. Skye turns her attention back to the camps around her; several people already seem to be turning in but Skye can still see lots of lantern light and the occasional beam from a flashlight. She's sure it's only a matter of time before someone decides to explore the ruins despite the fact that the hour is getting late. More power to them, but Skye isn't about to just go bumbling around in the dark, especially when this place already gives her the creeps.

Skye glances over to her left and her eyes settle on Jemma, who is still sitting out under the canopy, writing something down by the light of a camping lantern. She lifts her head, meeting Skye's gaze and seems to deliberate for a moment before getting to her feet and walking over in Skye's direction. Skye couldn't be more surprised by this change of events or by the way that her heart gives a leap of excitement.

"Hello." Jemma says when she's finally standing in front of Skye. She laces her hands together nervously, rocking back on her heels. "I suppose I should…" She clears her throat. "I thought I should apologize. For earlier. I was…I was just a bit frustrated because of a run-in I'd already had with…"

Rather than finishing that sentence, Jemma just cuts her eyes over to the right. Skye turns her head in that direction, not at all surprised to see that she's glaring daggers at John Garrett's camp.

Skye snorts out a laugh and shakes her head. "Yeah, I feel ya. Dealing with them is never fun." She looks back at Jemma. "After dealing with John Garrett, you know what you need?" She holds up the bottle of whiskey. "A drink."

*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Jemma giggles, setting the bottle down between them and taking a deep breath in an attempt to settle herself. "You are so right. You are absolutely right." She bobs her head up and down, cheeks flushed because of the whiskey and the heat of the jungle around them. "Garrett is an absolute douchebag."

Again, she giggles, like she's not the type of person that uses these particular insults. Skye thinks it's kind of adorable, though she's going to try and avoid ever admitting that out loud. Obviously, this isn't the first time that she's looked at Jemma Simmons and thought that she was adorable but the alcohol only makes her looser and quicker to smile.

Skye grins, leaning back against her camping chair. "Yeah, I've had a few dealings with him. And some of the people he works for." She shakes her head, which only makes the world start to spin. How much has she had to drink? "He's just a dick."

Jemma laughs and then claps her hand over her mouth like she can't believe she had the audacity to laugh at something like that. "Oh Skye." She shakes her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You aren't wrong though, I'll give you that."

Skye leans forward to pluck the bottle off the ground, taking a swig. She squints her eyes against the glow of the camping lantern set between them, studying the contents of the bottle. Between the two of them they've made a pretty sizable dent. Oh well, that's what alcohol is there for, right?

"You know what I hate the most?" Jemma questions, propping her chin in the palm of her hand as she looks at Skye. "No one takes me seriously. Not one person. It hardly seems to make that I have several doctorates in the fields of archeology and history but Jemma Simmons can't possibly be equipped to handle herself in the field. She can't possibly know what she's doing or how to preserve history or handle ancient artifacts." She scowls, her brow furrowing. "Ass."

"Hey, for what it's worth, I definitely don't think that." Skye says, leaning forward so she can rest her hand on Jemma's knee. "I think you're…amazing and super smart and incredibly capable. And a little intimidating, honestly. But definitely equipped."

Jemma looks at her, surprised by her words. "Really?"

Skye nods, smiling at her. "Yeah, absolutely. Don't let that douchebag get to you."

Jemma nods thoughtfully, steepling her fingers as she considers Skye. "You know…I've always admired you, Skye."

Skye only gapes at her, completely taken aback by her words. "Really?" Jemma nods. "I always kinda thought that you…you know, hated me."

Jemma waves a dismissive hand, teetering dangerously in her camping chair. "I…that is definitely not the case, I assure you. I've always been slightly envious of how you just barge right in to any situation, rules be damned." She shrugs. "Even though you are quite destructive at times, which is not good for the preservation of artifacts."

Skye smirks at her. "I'll be more careful in the future." She assures Jemma, though she honestly can't be sure if that's a promise that she can actually keep. It's not like she always sets off to disrupt ancient foundations or blow holes in temple walls but sometimes these things happen.

Regardless, the promise seems to be enough for Jemma and she nods, leaning forward to retrieve the mostly empty bottle of whiskey. Unfortunately the sudden movement, coupled with how unsteady she currently is, is enough to send her camping chair pitching forward and when Skye tries to grab her, they both just end up sprawling. Jemma laughs and Skye's own laughter quickly mingles with hers as they lay there on the rather uncomfortable, hard-packed earth.

"Oh my." Jemma says with a sigh. "I think I'm just a little bit drunk."

Skye nods, closing her eyes. "Me too. Everything is spinning. And there's a rock digging into my spine." Even so, she doesn't make any move to get up or correct her position. Jemma is laying half on top of her and that seems to even out the whole rock thing.

Jemma lifts her head, her hair spilling across her face in all sorts of crazy tangles and it seems perfectly logical for Skye to reach up with her free hand, trying to correct the wild tresses. And then their lips meet and Skye feels the heat spreading all the way from her chest to her toes, making her head spin in a way that has nothing to do with all the alcohol in her system.

Jemma's lips and tongue taste like whiskey and that's enough to cause Skye to pull away slightly, though she's suddenly loathe to do so. "Maybe we shouldn't-"

But Jemma doesn't give her the chance to finish, kissing her again and banishing any ideas of protest from Skye's mind.

*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

When Skye wakes up the following morning, Jemma is gone. It takes Skye several minutes to even put all the pieces together, to figure out why she's sprawled out on the ground instead of inside the tent, where she'd be out of the way of the glare of the early morning sun and the little critters that emerge when it's daylight.

Skye swats aside a small green lizard that is making its way across her chest and sits up, though she quickly regrets that movement for about a thousand different reasons. The first being that her head is pounding so hard that she thinks that she actually might throw up and the second being that her muscles are definitely not up for such sudden movement. Her back is aching and she's pretty sure she spent the entire night sleeping with a rock shoved into the small of her back.

It seems that Skye is unable to do anything other than groan so that's exactly what she does, dropping her head into her hands. Her mouth tastes like stale whiskey and something else, sweeter and more elusive. She sets eyes on the mostly empty bottle of whiskey and it all comes flooding back to her.

And that's when she realizes that Jemma is gone.

Skye frowns, lifting her head to survey the small campsite. She can still hear Trip snoring away in the tent but there's definitely no sign of Jemma. Skye's memories don't extend past them doing anything more than kissing and the fact that she's still wearing clothes –even if they are a bit rumpled- is pretty solid reassurance that they didn't do anything untoward.

Not that Skye would be opposed to getting a little improper with Jemma but she would definitely like to do those things when she could remember them. When they weren't both drunk or camping in the middle of a jungle.

However, Skye has the sinking feeling that she might be the only one that feels that way. Seeing as Jemma didn't seem interested in sticking around after last night. That thought hurts Skye far more than it should and when she tries to push aside the heaviness, it's not as easy as she would like.

She should have known better, should have known that it was too good to be true. After all, what would someone like Jemma Simmons want with someone like her? Obviously even genius archeologists can be encouraged to slum it under the right circumstances.

Skye rolls her eyes, shaking her head (and instantly regretting that particular course of action.) Well, she's not here to pine away from Jemma Simmons. She's here to get a job done. And suddenly, Skye can't wait to get the job done. Mostly so she can get out of here.

Skye forces herself to her feet, walking toward the tent and banging on the side of it. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!" She calls. "We've got work to do."

*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

It seems that, in spite of the fact that the sun has just barely come up, Skye and Trip are still getting a late start. Skye can't stop herself from glancing toward Jemma's camp, hoping for some sort of explanation or reassurance, only to find that the place seems relatively deserted, aside from two interns who have no doubt been left behind to guard the remaining equipment. Even Garrett's camp is empty, which makes it easy for Skye to push aside her own thoughts for a moment and spur herself into action. She drinks an entire bottle of water, tosses back three Advil and declares herself ready to go.

"You look rough." Trip comments as they head toward the ruins. The expression on his face is a mix of amusement and concern. "When did you go to bed last night?"

Skye just frowns at him. "It's a long story." She mutters and something in the tone of her voice must let him know that she's not interested in telling that particular story because he doesn't press the issue.

It's an insane relief to be inside the ruins; it's cool and dark and Skye heaves a sigh, grateful despite the musty smell and the continual eerie feeling. The sound of people talking and hammering away at stone is still far enough away for Skye to hold onto the idea that she and Trip are the only ones exploring the ruins. When she was little, bouncing around from foster home to foster home, she used to imagine what it would be like to explore the world and discover something really great that would make everyone remember her. This isn't quite the same thing as being a world-renowned explorer but she still gets the chance to explore new places and get her hands on priceless artifacts, even if she is just going to hand them over to someone else.

"We should split up." Skye says decisively when they've gone deep enough into the ruins that the path splits into opposite directions. Trip starts to protest but she just rolls her eyes. "We both know what we're looking for and we've both gone on plenty of solo jobs. We'll be twice as efficient so just…shove it."

Trip smirks at her and shakes his head. "All right, girl. You go right and I'll take left. Meet you back at the tent."

Skye salutes him and then heads in the aforementioned direction, letting the beam of her flashlight play across the uneven stones and shadowy eaves. She'd half hoped that she'd be moving away from the other teams already working to explore and excavate the space but the murmur of voices continues to grow louder which each step and when Skye finds herself leaving the narrow hallway to enter a more spacious room, which seems to be a hotbed of activity.

So, of course, it makes total sense for her to see Jemma right in the heart of it. Jemma is focused on a particular patch of wall, brushing it lightly with a fine-bristled brush and occasionally snapping pictures with her phone.

Her colleague, Fitz, is standing beside her and is the first person to notice that Skye has entered the space. Which is, of course, unfortunate because Skye had really hoped to escape detection and just move on to the next hallway without having to rehash last night with Jemma. But Fitz nudges Jemma in the side, catching her attention and then tilting his head in Skye's direction.

Jemma glances over her shoulder and her eyes brighten slightly, though Skye quickly looks away before their gazes can meet. Instead, she pulls her phone out of her side pocket, pulling up the digital maps that May downloaded to the device before Skye left HQ.

From where she's standing, Skye can just barely see the sliver of space between the walls, signaling the entryway to a new hallway. That's the direction that she needs to head in.

Before she can take more than a few steps, Jemma is calling her name and Skye can hear the sound of footsteps echoing off the walls. "Skye." Jemma finally catches up with her, placing her hand on her shoulder. "Where are you going? This room is simply fascinating. I believe it served as some sort of school room, if the markings on the wall are any indication and-"

"That's great." Skye interrupts, shrugging her shoulders and nearly dropping her pack to the ground. "I've got to get a move on, though. Sorry."

Her tone is curt and Skye hopes that it cuts through the space between them like barbed wire because that will make it so much easier to separate them, to separate her from what happened the night before.

Jemma's face falls and she looks at Skye, perplexed. "What are-"

But Skye doesn't give her the chance to finish her sentence. Instead, she just turns away, continuing down the narrow hallway, following the digital map on her phone. She can hear Jemma dutifully following after her but she doesn't bother to acknowledge her, apparently subscribing to the idea that ignoring the problem will make it go away.

Not that Jemma is a problem. Far from it. Which is exactly the problem.

Skye isn't at all surprised to hear the sound of footsteps hurrying behind her but she doesn't turn around. She doesn't need to. She already knows who is following after her.

"Where are you going?" Jemma's voice echoes across the stone walls and Skye keeps walking forward, her gaze fixed on the digital map in her hand. "Skye."

There's a touch of frustration in her voice, mingled with traces of confusion and maybe something else that Skye doesn't want to name and Skye finally stops and turns to face her. "I've got work to do." She holds up the map as though she needs proof of her words. "That's why I came here."

That might be true. But there have definitely been advantages to checking out this particular site. At least, until last night.

Though Skye thinks it's more the morning after that is the disadvantage.

Despite the tone of her voice, Jemma continues to follow after her, walking in a sharp silence that seems to be speak louder than any words the other woman could utter at the moment. Skye ignores her as best as she can, keeping an eagle eye on the map in her hands.

The map instructs her to turn a corner and continue down the hallway, assuring her that at some point she'll come across the object she's been sent to retrieve. Skye dutifully turns the corner and runs smack into a wall. Predictably, Jemma runs right into her back.

Skye steps backward, rubbing her nose and nearly tripping over Jemma's feet. "What the hell." She grits her teeth, looking at the screen of her phone. Her technology has never let her down before so what the hell is going on now. She shakes the phone and stares at the screen again, though nothing has changed. The map is still telling her to go straight.

Straight through the wall.

"Maybe there's another turn off." Jemma suggests helpfully from behind her. "Maybe you just missed it."

Skye frowns, looking back at Jemma. "I didn't miss it." She informs the other woman shortly. "This is the right way. There's just…not supposed to be a wall here."

And then something clicks in Skye's brain and she can't stop the sly smile that spreads across her lips. Obviously, there's only one thing to do in this particular position.

Skye shrugs her bag off her shoulder and kneels down, rummaging through the contents. Jemma watches her without comment but Skye ignores her, doing a pretty good impression of someone who doesn't care. She thinks.

"What are you doing?" Jemma's voice sounds slightly panicked when she sees what Skye has retrieved from her bag. "Skye."

Skye tightens her grip around the mallet in her hand, stepping toward the wall. "Whatever I need is obviously on the other side of this wall." She tells Jemma frankly. "So I'm going to make my own way."

"You can't just go around knocking down walls whenever you like!" Jemma protests but Skye ignores her, swinging the mallet and burying it in the wall. "Skye! Stop! This temple is ancient!"

But Skye just ignores her, hammering away and blinking her eyes against the dust and debris that comes flying back toward her face. There's a part of her that realizes that Jemma is probably right or that there might be another way to go about this. But there's also a part of her that really enjoys hitting shit with a hammer.

Once Skye actually makes a hole, it's easier to pull the rest of the rock and stone away. Jemma is right, the temple is ancient. That makes it easier to pull aside pieces of the crumbling wall.

"I cannot believe you just did that." Jemma huffs, crossing her arms over her chest and scowling at Skye and the hole that she has created. "I can't believe I just stood here and let you."

Skye scoffs and shakes her head. "Like you could have stopped me."

"Obviously." Jemma mutters sourly.

Skye picks up her flashlight and shines it through the hole in the wall. There's a tunnel on the other side, not large enough to stand in but definitely large enough to crawl through. Not that she really has any interest in doing that but…that's where the map is telling her so has to go so Skye figures that she really doesn't have any choice. Unfortunately.

Skye reshoulders her bag and takes a breath, slipping her phone into her back pocket. She's not going to need it for a while; obviously, there's only one direction to go in.

"Wait!" Jemma protests as soon as Skye makes a move forward. "You aren't actually going in there, are you? You have no idea where that could lead? Or even if this structure is stable. The whole thing could come down on top of you."

Skye sits back on her heels, glaring up at Jemma. "Thank you for that. That's a very comforting thought."

Jemma gives her a pointed look. "It's true. You can't just go crawling through dark passages in ancient ruins."

But Skye just shrugs. "That's pretty much my job description, actually." She tells Jemma. "I'm not asking you to come with me so chill out. Go back to your school room."

"You can't actually believe that I'm just going to leave and let you crawl through some tunnel to god knows where."

Skye quirks an eyebrow. "You had no problem just leaving earlier."

Okay, so she sounds bitter and petulant and like a child about to have a temper tantrum but…she's entitled, okay?

Jemma's brow furrows with confusion and her nose scrunches up in a way that Skye thinks is way too cute for the conversation they're having right now –really, it's not fair- and then her eyes get wide and Skye can practically see the light bulb go off in her mind.

"Is that why you're upset?" Jemma questions, studying Skye quizzically. "Because of this morning?"

Skye frowns, glad that it's too dark in here to see the way her cheeks darken with embarrassment. "I…" She looks back toward the creepy, dark tunnel and really wishes that she was inside of it and that it was crushing her right now.

Jemma kneels down beside her, a smile on her lips. "I tried waking you up, you know." She remarks. "You didn't seem interested. And I had to join the rest of my team so we could begin the expedition."

"I don't think you-"

But Skye doesn't get to finish her protest because Jemma leans in, putting her palm against the side of Skye's face and kissing her soundly. After that, it really seems pointless to try and protest anything because…point has been made.

And Skye is pretty happy to believe Jemma's good intentions. Especially when she's kissing her like that.

When they pull away, Skye clears her throat and purses her lips in an effort to hide the dorky smile on her face. But she can still taste Jemma on her lips, so fighting back the smile doesn't exactly go as planned.

"Well…" Skye clears her throat again. "I still have to go in the tunnel."

Jemma rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "I had the feeling you were going to say that."

*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Jemma's obvious misgivings don't stop her from crawling into the tunnel right behind Skye and even though she thinks it's totally ridiculous for Jemma to insist on coming along, Skye isn't exactly going to fight her on the issue. A little bit of company is nice. Even if it comes in the form of a doubting, genius scientist.

They crawl in silence for a while with only the sound of the beeping phone in Skye's pocket to keep them company. Skye has no idea how long they've been doing this but it feels like months and her palms are already scratched up and her knees are killing her and this is really not fun at all. She's going to need a raise after this. And a vacation. With Jemma. Definitely going to have to make that happen.

Jemma is still following after her and Skye wonders what's causing her to continue moving through the tunnel instead of deciding to just give up and go back. Is it her or Jemma's curiosity and sense of adventure? Skye isn't sure which she'd prefer honestly. The curiosity is pretty attractive too.

"So," Jemma speaks finally, her voice betraying her own discomfort with their current situation, "what are you really after? What could be so important that it has you crawling through mysterious tunnels?"

"I don't really know." Skye tells Jemma. "All I know if where it is and what it looks like so I can grab it."

Jemma huffs out a breath. "Not good enough." She tells Skye frankly. "Tell me more."

Skye grins, shaking her head. "I really don't know that much." She thinks about her conversation with Coulson. "It could be…strange and unusual. Alien."

Jemma scoffs and Skye can imagine her rolling her eyes. "Unlikely." She remarks. "You should just stick with strange or unusual."

"Well fine. Then it's just strange and-"

Skye doesn't get the chance to finish because when she puts her hands down, there's nothing there to brace against and suddenly she's pitching forward, helpless to stop herself from falling in the darkness. She can tell from the sounds behind her that the same thing has happened to Jemma.

Thankfully they don't fall very far and even though the landing isn't exactly pleasant, at least the ground to close enough that they avoid anything more serious than a few bumps and bruises. Skye pushes herself into a sitting position, quickly checking her phone and flashlight, relived to find that both are still working.

Skye gets up and then turns to help Jemma to her feet as well, giving her hands a squeeze. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Jemma assures her, nodding. She pulls one of her hands free, leaving the other twined with Skye's. Something that Skye has no problem with. "Where are we?"

Skye manages to maneuver her bag enough to allow her to grab another flashlight out and she hands it over to Jemma. The two beams of light don't do much to illuminate the space around them but it's better than nothing.

They're in a room with a high ceiling and shadowy lumps that instantly catch Skye's attention. When she shines the beam of her flashlight over them, they turn out to be piles of glittering pieces of gold and tarnished bronze and shimmering emeralds and other gems Skye doesn't have a name for. Just like something out of an Indiana Jones movie…something that Skye has never had the advantage of seeing for herself. Most of the ruins she's had the pleasure of touring have been picked over by grave robbers and others like herself over the years. Clearly an advantage of being in a place that didn't even seem to exist until several days ago.

"Oh my." Jemma breathes, stepping toward the piles of artifacts. There are chalices and books and bowls and gems piled together, like someone was trying to stash away all their treasures in a hurry without bothering to discriminate. "I don't believe it."

Jemma's hands ghost over the objects without actually picking anything up. "Can you imagine how old these things must be?" She questions, obviously talking to herself more than Skye. "We could be the first people to see these objects since the people they belonged to."

"Crazy." Skye mutters, even though her focus is only half on what Jemma is saying. She's eyeing the objects appreciatively but there's only one that she really needs to be looking for. Even still…she can't stop herself from swiping a few of the necklaces and one of the books. Clearly she doesn't have Jemma's self-control.

And then her flashlight settles on one thing which is not like the others. Skye recognizes the device from the sketch in the report she'd been given: it's small and box-like and made of silver metal and even to her untrained eye, it definitely doesn't look like it belongs with the rest of the artifacts.

Skye steps forward, gingerly picking her way through the hodgepodge of items and the draping of spider webs and reaching for the object. She pulls it out of the pile, causing several other artifacts to go tumbling to the floor, making an unnecessary amount of noise.

Jemma whirls around, the beam of her flashlight nearly blinding Skye. "What is that?" She gives Skye an apologetic look, lowering the beam so that it rests on the machine in Skye's hand. "That doesn't look like it should be in here with the rest of this stuff."

"Yeah, I'm getting that feeling too." Skye replies, shifting the object in her hands in an attempt to get a better hold on it. It's not really all that heavy but it's awkwardly shaped and hard to keep a hold of.

But, more than anything, it's the subtle vibrations that the thing is emitting that makes Skye want to drop it. It seems almost like it's humming in her arms, growing warmer by the minute and Skye isn't exactly feeling all that secure right now.

Jemma walks over to her, lightly pressing her palm against the top of the machine. She pulls it back quickly, looking up at Skye, surprised. "What is it?"

"Don't know. Alien." Skye teases and Jemma rolls her eyes. "What I want to know is how are we going to get this back through the tunnel?"

They don't have much of an opportunity to discuss this predicament before the sound of voices reach their ears and they both immediately fall silent, listening. The speakers are too far away, their voices too distorted by the tunnels, for them to make out the words but it's obvious that they're human voices nonetheless. Male, if Skye had to guess.

Clearly there's more than one way to get into this room and Skye is momentarily pissed about the fact that her phone had to take her the worst possible way to get here while whoever else is about to join them is going to just come waltzing in just as easy as you please.

And that's exactly what they do. There are four men, all carrying high-powered flashlights and lanterns that cause the room to burst into light as they step through the narrow hallway and into the larger space. No crawling through tunnels or falling from them required.

Skye isn't all that surprised to see John Garrett standing there, his trusty lackeys right there beside him. To his credit, Garrett doesn't look all that surprised to see her either.

"Hello Skye." Garrett says warmly, a smile on his face. "Fancy meeting you here."

Skye just frowns. "I could say the same thing. You'll have to show me the easy way into this place."

Garrett laughs and looks over at Ward, who doesn't seem like he understands what's so funny about the whole situation. Skye can relate to that. "I'd be happy to show you. Just as soon as you hand that over."

Figures. Skye's eyes drop to the machine in her hands, still humming and vibrating against her. She should have known that this sort of thing would attract the likes of Garrett and his band too.

"Funny Garrett." Skye smirks. "You should be a comedian."

Garrett shrugs, offering her a smile. "Maybe I'll do that, Skye. With the money they're paying me to find that thing I can easily switch careers."

Skye frowns slightly. She wonders if Garrett's buyers are paying more than the ones who contacted Coulson. Maybe she should…no. She's getting distracted here. Focus, Skye, focus.

Skye glances over toward Jemma, just to see how she's handling this new development. But Jemma looks like she could honestly care less. The brighter, more powerful lights from Garrett's crew have illuminated all the eaves and dark corners of the room, shedding light on the walls, up to the high ceiling. Jemma seems enraptured by the carvings and paintings that are visible in the fluorescent light, far from invested in the building argument going on around her. Skye smirks to herself and shakes her head. Figures.

"Finders keepers, Garrett. Sorry." Skye says breezily, shrugging her shoulders and nudging Jemma with her elbow. "Time to go."

Despite their current circumstances, Jemma actually looks like she's going to protest this directive.

"See, I can't let you walk out of here with that thing, Skye." Garrett tells her and he nods toward Ward, who reaches toward his hip to withdraw the pistol that he has resting there. "So hand it over."

Jemma's eyes go wide and she steps backward. Skye stiffens at the sight of the gun, though she's embarrassed to admit that this isn't the first time that she's been on the business end of one of these things. Maybe it's time to start thinking about another career.

Instinctively, Skye moves to step in front of Jemma but she doesn't loosen her grip on the humming machine in her arms. "Really? You're going to shoot me over this thing?"

"Well…that's not necessary or anything." Garrett shrugs. "Just hand it over an you both can go back to your looting."

Jemma lets out an indignant breath. "I am an archeologist." She points out defensively.

"You need better associates then. This one is nothing but trouble." Garrett says dismissively and Skye just scowls. "Ward."

Still keeping the gun leveled on Skye, Ward steps forward until he's almost toe to toe with her, an expectant look on his face. There's a moment where Skye thinks about resisting, doing something to fight back and keep the device and get the two of them out of here and have a great story to tell. But she's hardly qualified for any such heroics, unfortunately.

Skye shoves the device at Ward as hard as she can and that, coupled with the heat and the vibrations emanating from the object, catch Ward by surprise and the machine slips from his grasp and hits the floor.

After that, everything happens so quickly that it isn't until later that Skye can really piece everything together.

As soon as the device hits the ground, it emits a low pitched whine that steadily grows louder, echoing off the walls of the room around them and making Skye feel like her ears are going to start bleeding. In addition to being suddenly vocal, the object starts glowing and Skye takes a step back, pushing Jemma back with her, squinting against the growing brightness.

"What the hell…" Is the last thing that Skye hears Garrett say before the room starts shaking and it quickly becomes obvious that they need to get the hell out of here as quickly as possible.

Skye reaches for Jemma's hand, tugging her further away from the device. "Really, really time to go."

"But what about-" Jemma's protest quickly dies when the roof starts shedding pieces and those pieces start to fall dangerously close to where they're standing. "Yes, right."

The floor is starting to crumble as well and the intensity of the rumbling and trembling nearly knocks Skye off her feet. She glances over her shoulder in time to see the device start to burrow through the ground, moving easily through layers of stone and dirt and disappearing as cracks and fissures spread outward.

Thankfully, Garrett and his team seem less interested in dealing with Skye and Jemma and more interested in getting themselves the hell out of this situation so they don't protest when Skye and Jemma follow them out the way they came in. Skye figures this is probably the best thing Garrett has ever done for her; there's no way she'd be able to bring herself to get back into that tunnel, not with the whole place feeling like it's about the come down on top of them.

"What about Fitz! And the others!" Jemma laments, holding onto Skye's hand so tightly that Skye worries she's going to bruise. "We should-"

"They're going to be fine." Skye assures her, nearly shouting to be heard over the sound of the temple coming down around them. At least, she can only hope they're going to be fine. Because Trip is in here somewhere too…hopefully not crawling through any mysterious tunnels at the moment.

Skye can't quite describe the feeling of relief that she gets when she finally sees light at the end of the tunnel…literally. She and Jemma follow Garrett and the others out just as the hallway collapses behind them, sealing off the entrance as the temple continues to collapse upon itself.

Jemma is tugging on her hand, pulling her away from the place where Skye had been hoping to stand for like five years so she could catch her breath and she feels powerless to resist the desperation and insistence in Jemma's actions so Skye allows herself to be pulled away. More running, wonderful.

But she quickly understands Jemma's impatience when Skye realizes that she's being pulled back toward the other side of the ruins, where they both have their camps set up. The ruins are still crumbling, the ground still trembling underfoot and Skye has the feeling it's only going to be a matter of time before the ancient site is reduced to nothing more than rumble.

When Jemma sees Fitz, standing several yards back from the entrance of the temple with several of the other members of the team, she lets go of Skye's hand and hurries over to her friend, throwing her arms around his shoulders and holding onto him gratefully.

As soon as Skye sees Trip, she definitely understands Jemma's impulse but she manages to refrain, instead giving him a relieved smile and patting him on the shoulder when he walks over to her.

Trip gives her a wry smile, shaking his head. "You found it, didn't you?"

Skye holds up her hands, defensive. "Hey, this wasn't entirely my fault."

*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Regardless of who is at fault, the truth remains the same: the ruins have been completely destroyed and there is nothing left of them by piles of rubble and debris. Several of the teams seem intent on sticking around and starting to dig through the rubble in an effort to see if anything can be salvaged but there is not reason for Skye to spend a second longer in this hot and sweltering jungle. Well…there is one reason that she can think of. But thankfully Jemma and her team aren't planning on staying either, making the choice an easy one for Skye.

Coulson arranges for the same, small jet to be waiting on the tarmac when Skye and Trip finally make their way out of the jungle once more but the abbreviated schedule has left Jemma and her team without a way out of the Congo and back to the civilization they're more accustomed to. Skye thinks this is something like Fate, intervening in her life and helping her prolong her parting with Jemma for as long as possible.

The space is a lot more cramped with the extra passengers but Skye doesn't need at that space to spread out and relax anyway. She'd rather have Jemma in the seat beside her than her tattered backpack.

Once they're in the air, Jemma sighs, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the seat. She's sweaty, her skin streaked with dirt and dust and the occasional scratch from the bush and undergrowth and her hair is twisted and tangled, even in its ponytail. Skye is certain that she doesn't look much better at the moment and all she really wants is a hot shower, hot and ridiculously greasy food and a bed that doesn't have the ground directly beneath it.

"I can't believe it." Jemma sighs mournfully, opening her eyes again. When she looks at Skye, the disappointment and ache is apparent in her gaze. "Those ruins…all those artifacts and paintings…the pottery and markings…all of it gone."

Skye makes a sympathetic sound, patting Jemma's knee. She's still in the whole 'grateful we're not gone with it' stage of the ordeal.

"Think of everything we could have learned!" Jemma continues, throwing her head back again. "We had the chance to study an ancient civilization, a chance that no one has had before us! And all of it…just gone."

"Actually…" Skye reaches for the bag at her feet, pulling it into her lap and digging around. "It's not much but…maybe you could still do something with it."

She hands over the book and necklaces that she stuffed into her bag before finding the mysterious and apparently destructive object back in the ruins. Jemma's eyes get wide as she looks at the book in her hands, gently running her fingers along the leather over, seeming reluctant to do much more than that at the moment.

"Skye." Jemma looks at her in surprise. "How did you manage to get these?"

With a shrug, Skye just grins. "Well, I am the best in the business." In her mind anyway. And that's really all that matters, isn't it?

But Jemma doesn't seem like she's inclined to argue. She leans forward, kissing Skye soundly, letting the book fall in her lap, momentarily forgotten. Trip lets out a whistle from the seat across from theirs and Skye just gives him the finger, not bothering to pull away from Jemma. She's going to enjoy this moment while it lasts, thank you very much. And hopefully she'll get to enjoy many more moments just like it in the future.

Unfortunately, all great moments must come to an end and they pull away, though if the gleam in Jemma's eyes is any indication, Skye has plenty of future moments to look forward to.

"Thank you Skye." Jemma says softly but her eyes have yet to leave Skye's despite the artifacts resting in her lap. "This is wonderful."

Skye shrugs, feeling her cheeks start to grow pink from the praise and the sincerity in Jemma's tone. "It's nothing." She mutters, ducking her head.

Jemma reaches for her hand, giving it a squeeze. Skye looks back up at her, her smile fading slightly. "You know…Garrett wasn't wrong about me. I do tend to attract trouble."

But Jemma just shakes her head. "Don't be ridiculous. In fact, I think we make a pretty good team."

Skye grins and Jemma seems to find the gesture infectious. Maybe Jemma is right. Sure this job might have ended in destruction (like several of her jobs have before, if she's being perfectly honest) but they did manage to get some artifacts away from the ruins and she's even put them in the hands of a scientist that can actually study them and maybe do some good with them. Skye has to consider that a win.

"Yeah. I guess we do, don't we?"


End file.
